Islamabad: Pakistan has shut down around 2,500 illegal petrol pumps across the country as authorities intensify action against petroleum smuggling and unauthorised fuel sales. The figure was presented during a meeting on Federal Board of Revenue reforms chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Officials said legal proceedings have also been initiated against operators of the identified outlets.
The crackdown is increasingly being driven by digital monitoring. Authorities have introduced GIS tagging of legal petrol stations, GPS tracking of petroleum shipments, integration with oil marketing companies’ ERP systems and a central tracking application for law-enforcement agencies. Officials said the Rahguzar app helped authorities identify and close the 2,500 illegal outlets.
The government has directed agencies to further tighten action against fuel smuggling and illegal businesses.
